A significant number of existing water dispensers use gravity as the driving force to dispense water from the water dispenser. In this type of water dispenser, the water bottle is positioned above the dispensing location. These dispensers are referred to as “Top-Loading” water dispensers. Top-Loading water dispensers typically include means for receiving a five (5) gallon water bottle at the uppermost portion of the water dispenser. Five (5) gallon water bottles are quite heavy making it difficult for some individuals to mount the water bottle on the uppermost portion of the water cooler. To overcome the problem of mounting the heavy five (5) gallon water bottles on top of Top-Loading water dispensers, water dispensers in which the water bottle is stored in the lower portion of the water dispenser have been proposed. Since these systems cannot rely upon gravity to dispense drinking water, pumps are typically employed to pump the drinking water to the dispensing location located above the water bottle. These types of water dispensers are referred to herein as “Bottom-Loading” water dispensers.
As an alternative to the five (5) gallon water bottles, water coolers have been developed to use water retaining bags. There are several existing methods to puncture the water retaining bags in order to draw water from the water retaining bag. For example, an upstanding spike is located in such a manner that the water retaining bag is lowered onto the spike and the weight of the water retaining bag serves to cause the spike to puncture the water retaining bag. Systems of this type have an inherent disadvantage. Specifically, if a proper seal is not formed between the water retaining bag and the spike, water will leak. Some water coolers have a spike or other conduit that extends from above the water retaining bag. However, these water coolers do not allow for the water retaining bag to be readily removed and replaced with another water retaining bag.